An outdoor play area for children was inaugurated at the District Headquarters Hospital, Pollachi, on Wednesday.
Pollachi Sub-Collector A. Catherine Saranya opened the facility, which is located close to the Department of Paediatrics, in the presence of Joint Director of Health Services N.N. Rajasekaran and hospital authorities.
Ms. Saranya inspected the hospital, including the maternity ward, and reviewed the progress of ongoing works.
Superintendent of the hospital E. Raja said the hospital already has an indoor play area for children. The newly-inaugurated outdoor play area, which was set up with the support of Pinky Readymades, will become beneficial to children who visit the hospital, he said.
Dr. Raja said the Department of Paediatrics was the first government facility in the State to get accreditation under the National Health Mission’s ‘MusQan’ initiative, which is to ensure quality child-friendly services in public health facilities to reduce preventable new-born and child morbidity and mortality, following an inspection held in August last year.
The department was treating around 54,300 outpatients and 1,900 inpatients a year on an average. While the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) was getting around 800 patients, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was treating around 1,400 patients a year.
Breast cancer screening
Ganga Breast Care Centre and Rotary Club of Coimbatore Metropolis conducts free breast cancer screening camp at the hospital for women aged above 40 on second Wednesdays of every month. The mobile mammography unit, namely Project Shakti, has so far screened 750 women last year. A total of 19 persons were detected with early stage breast cancer and they are undergoing treatment, Dr. Raja said.
